Since making his debut, Ted Kord has undergone a lot of changes. Between switching publishers, to his time at DC, to other versions of him, the character has held a very strong presence in comics, whether people realize it or not.
Though there have been other versions of the Blue Beetle character, Ted Kord is typically the version that people think of. Despite his small popularity, the character still has a large pocket of fans who are constantly awaiting his next adventure. Between other versions of the character and the constant changes he has been through, here is our list of 10 things to know about Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle.
10 Created By…
Surprisingly, Steve Ditko, the co-creator of Spider-Man, is actually the sole creator of Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle. Debuting in 1966’s Captain Atom #83, Ted Kord actually started off as a Charlton Comics character. Shortly after making his debut, Ted would get his own ongoing series, where he would soon introduce another fan favorite character in The Question.
After DC acquired Charlton’s characters in the 80’s Blue Beetle and other characters began to appear in some major DC books. From there, Ted would get another ongoing series and has been the main version of Blue Beetle practically ever since. Nowadays, Ted shares the namesake with the young Jaime Reyes, though each has done a lot for the role in their own right.
9 His Secret Identity
Unlike his predecessor, Ted Kord relies on his brain power instead of the mystical scarab that gave Dan Garrett his incredible abilities. Shortly before Garrett’s death, Ted Kord was revealed to be a former student of the hero. After the duo teamed up to investigate Ted’s uncle, Dan unfortunately died in battle. In his final moments though, he passed the mantle on to Ted himself, though he wasn’t able to pass the scarab on before it was too late.
Because of that, Ted has relied on his intelligence to help him as a superhero ever since. After transitioning to DC, Ted was made into a very wealthy person with the establishment of his company, Kord Industries. Since then, the character has been relatively consistent in his place within the DC universe.
8 He is the Second Blue Beetle
As mentioned previously, Dan Garret was Blue Beetle before Ted Kord. However, Ted would remain the sole version of the character for many years until Jaime Reyes came along. Though Dan and Jaime never met each other, Ted has come to work closely with both of them.
Furthermore, Ted is the only version of Blue Beetle whose abilities don’t come from the scarab. Despite being the most impactful version of Blue Beetle, Ted is also the most unique. With many distinct differences between all three versions of the character, Ted has easily held the biggest impact on the larger DC universe as a whole.
7 His is Incredibly Smart
Because Ted is so brilliant, he has designed and engineered virtually all of his own advanced technology. Likewise, his company has helped develop all sort of tech for the public to use. Though he is not the smartest character in the DC universe, Ted Kord is definitely near the top of the list.
With his intellect, Ted has been a very valuable asset to many teams including the Justice League. Though his personality has still led him to make some dumb decisions, Ted is one of the most brilliant engineers arguably in all of comics.
6 His Best Friend is Booster Gold
Booster Gold and Ted Kord are so close that many fans find it hard to think of one character without the other. Over the years, the two have been on all sorts of wacky scientific adventures together. Going beyond their service as Justice League members, the two have gotten into all sorts of shenanigans involving time travel and scientific discovery.
Generally, the goofy adventures of the two heroes lead to some very hilarious stories. Despite the stakes featured in many of these stories, the dynamic between the two is very charming. Though they may not be the most responsible dynamic duo out there, the two certainly make for a very entertaining read.
5 Nite Owl is Based Off of Him
Like many other Charlton comics characters, Nite Owl of the Watchmen series is actually based off of Blue Beetle. While most believe him to be a rip-off of Batman, Watchmen author Alan Moore originally intended to use the newly acquired Charlton characters for the story. However, due to the very dark nature of Watchmen, DC editorial suggested he make new characters.
Hence, characters like Dr. Manhattan, Nite Owl and Rorschach were born. Though there are a few notable differences between Blue Beetle and Nite Owl, the two have very similar personalities and histories. Furthermore, much of Nite Owl’s equipment strongly resembles Beetle’s own. Though Nite Owl is an integral part of the Watchmen narrative, it is very hard to imagine Ted Kord filling the same dark role from the series.
4 He Has Died
Like many other comic book heroes, Ted Kord has actually died and come back to life. Shortly before the events of Infinite Crisis, Blue Beetle was shot in the head by Maxwell Lord, someone who was believed to be on the Justice League’s side. While Ted has always been a smaller-scale character, this moment was still very shocking and had some drastic repercussions for the League.
Though Jaime Reyes came about after Ted’s death and did well making a name for himself, Ted is once again among the living. Since making his return, he has retired from heroism, doing what he can to teach Jaime about his newfound abilities.
3 In Other Media
Though Ted is considered by many to be the most popular version of Blue Beetle, he has scarcely appeared outside of the comics. In fact, Jaime has received far more recognition in other media than Ted has. Though he has been alluded to in shows like Arrow and Young Justice, Ted has really only made small appearances in shows like Smallville and Batman: The Brave and the Bold.
However, Brandon Routh’s Ray Palmer character was intended to be Ted Kord initially. It seems as though Warner Brothers and related studios have plans for Ted, but nothing has been finalized to the point where he has actually made an appearance.
2 Has Been a Member of Several Justice Leagues
Though Ted is most known for his time on Justice League International, the character has been a part of several iterations of the team. In one of the more infamous instances, Ted was part of Extreme Justice, a short-lived series featuring a shallow plot and overly-muscular characters.
Over the years, he has been an on-and-off member of the Justice League, sometimes appearing only for an issue or two. Though he has been fairly absent from the comics in recent years, he has always been a very useful member and a valuable part of every team.
1 Currently…
Ever since DC Rebirth, Ted Kord has played many different roles. Towards the start, he was retired from heroism, helping Jaime learn about and study the scarab. Since then, however, he has come to play a very different role. In the recently concluded Heroes in Crisis, Ted helped Booster Gold hide from other members of the League, and also helped him to clear his name.
From there, Ted had briefly appeared as part of the Doomsday Clock series, though he quickly vanished with everyone else because of Dr. Manhattan. At the moment, the character’s direction is unclear, though he always has a fairly strong fanbase ready and waiting for him to return.